Hola Parents and Guardians!
In mathematics we continued exploring graphs this week, focusing on bar graphs. Students are working to correctly interpret picture graphs and bar graphs, and we will be building some graphs as well coming up.
In English, we spent the week discussing some grammar details that impact our writing, specifically punctuation and spelling. We explored the proper use of apostrophes, commas and periods. We discussed how commas can save lives ( "Let's eat kids!" vs. "Let's eat, kids!"), and explored how apostrophe use can impact spelling, and therefore, the meaning of the word (it's vs. its). We also explored how spelling can affect the meaning of the word (and therefore the sentences!), by looking at the correct use of "to", "too", and "two", as well as "their", "there", and "they're".
In Literacy Circles, we finished reading and doing the follow up work for Chapter 5 of our current novel, Fatty Legs.
In health we finished the third of the Seven Sacred Teachings, which is courage, by reflecting upon and discussing our fears and our strategies to move through fear to courage.
In Social Studies we continue to explore the natural regions of Alberta, having just wrapped up the second one, the Rocky Mountains. We have discussed the landforms and features of this area, its climate, vegetation and wildlife, as well as human land-use (natural resources and human use of these resources) and jobs available in this area.
In Science we continue to look at waste, and have shifted our focus on waste disposal and impacts on the environment.
In Spanish, we began a new unit about the house. we will be focusing on building vocabulary for the parts of the house and common objects (e.g., bathtub, stove, couch) found in homes, and building conversation, reading, and writing skills around this topic.
In gym we continue to have fun with our exciting and funny instructor, Alexis, as he teaches us different dance moves! So far we have learned some fun hip hop dance moves, and we have two days of this fun left!
This Friday we had our first walking trip! As a grade, we walked to the small park area by the school and engaged in some land-based learning. We began with a tour of the area to notice natural elements, such as trees, the ground, plants, birds etc. Srta. M showed us her favourite tree in this park. We then did some sit spot art. Our target was to find 3 things we see and draw them, as well as describe them in a couple of sentences; 2 things we can feel (tactile sensation, not emotions) and draw them, as well as describe them in a couple of sentences; and 1 thing we can hear, drawing and describing it as well. We followed this up with an indigenous game called Crows and Cranes. THANK YOU PARENT VOLUNTEERS! We would have not been able to do this without you!
Upon return to the school, we also did some Buddies time with some of our grade 1 classes, where we read to and with grade 1 students in both English and Spanish.
We finished off the day with some Indigenous Art, by learning some Coast Salish shapes, in a guided video lesson. The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. We listened to a story about a colourful wood duck and a crow, and began drawing a wood duck in the Coast Salish style of art! We will continue this work next week.
See you next week!
